OP0218 FREQUENCY OF DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS (JIA) – DATA FROM THE INCEPTION COHORT OF NEWLY DIAGNOSED PATIENTS WITH JIA (ICON)
Authors: P. Oommen, J. Klotsche, F. Dressler, I. Foeldvari, D. Foell, G. Horneff, T. Hospach, T. Kallinich, J. Kuemmerle-Deschner, I. Liedmann, K. Moenkemoeller, M. Niewerth, C. Siemer, F. Weller-Heinemann, D. Windschall, K. Minden, C. Sengler
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2022)

Background Psychiatric comorbidities can be a significant additional burden in chronic diseases. The most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease in children and adolescents is juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Data on mental illness in children and adolescents with JIA are heterogeneous. Objectives To assess the frequency of depressive and anxious symptoms in patients with JIA compared to healthy peers. Methods Data were analysed from JIA patients and healthy controls of the same age included in the inception cohort of newly diagnosed children and adolescents with JIA (ICON). Depressive symptoms (using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, score 0-27) and anxious symptoms (Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7, score 0-21) were captured 7 or 9 years after inclusion in ICON in patients aged thirteen years or older at the time of filling in these questionnaires. Symptom severity for both instruments was assessed by sum score with the following cut-off values: PHQ-9 score &lt; 5: none, 5-9: mild, 10-14: moderate, 15-19: severe, ≥ 20: very severe. GAD-7 Score &lt; 5: none, 5-9: mild, 10-14: moderate, ≥ 15: severe. Disease parameters such as Physician Global Assessment of Disease Activity (PhGA Disease Activity, numerical rating scale, (NRS),0-10, 0=best), joint count (n) and patient-reported outcomes on functional limitations ((C)HAQ, score 0-3, 0=best), Patient Global Assessment of Well-being (PGA Well-being), pain and fatigue (NRS, 0-10, 0=best) were also documented. Results The analysis included 344 patients, 157 (45.6%) &lt; 18 years old (mean 15.5 ± 1.5 years, 64.3% female), 187 (54.4%) ≥ 18 years old (mean 21.5 ± 2.1 years, 65.2% female) and 224 control subjects, 115 (51.3%) &lt; 18 years old (mean 15.2 ± 1.5 years, 60% female), 109 (48.7%) ≥ 18 years old (mean 21.4 ± 1.9 years, 58.7% female). Almost 40% of patients had oligoarthritis (26% persistent OA, 12.5% extended OA), 27% rheumatoid factor (RF)-negative polyarthritis, 6% psoriatic arthritis, 17% enthesitis-related arthritis; 3% each had systemic JIA and RF-positive polyarthritis. In the total cohort, 14% of patients and 7% of controls had a PHQ-9 ≥ 10 and 10% of patients and 2% of controls had a GAD-7 ≥ 10. Within the categories of JIA, the rate of a PHQ-9 ≥ 10 ranged from 9.3% (oligoarthritis extended) to 33.3% (RF-positive polyarthritis) and a GAD-7 ≥ 10 ranged from 0% (systemic arthritis) to 22.2% (psoriatic arthritis). Patients aged ≥ 18 years had higher scores for both PHQ-9 (≥ 10: 18.7%) and GAD-7 (≥ 10: 14.4%) compared to patients &lt; 18 years (PHQ-9 ≥ 10: 8.3%, GAD-7 ≥ 10: 5.1). In patients &lt; 18 years with PHQ-9 &lt; 10 versus ≥ 10, there were no significant differences in either PhGA disease activity (0.8±1.6 / 1.0±2.0, p = 0.673) or joint count (0.5±1.3 / 0.5±1.6, p = 0.999). In contrast, there was a significant difference in PhGA disease activity (0.8±1.5 / 1.6±1.4, p = 0.005) but not in joint count (0.7±3.1 / 0.8±1.3, p = 0.850) in patients ≥ 18 years with PHQ-9 &lt; 10 versus PHQ-9 ≥ 10. Female patients were more often found to have higher scores for depression and anxiety than male patients (PHQ-9 ≥ 10: female 17.5%, male 7.4%, GAD-7 ≥ 10: female 13.5%, male 4.1%) and patients more often had higher scores for depression than controls (PHQ-9 ≥ 10: female patients 17.5%, female controls 8.3%, male patients 7.4%, male controls 4.4%). The difference in the proportion of female patients with GAD-7 ≥ 10 (13.5%) compared to control subjects (2.3%) was remarkable, but in male patients this proportion (4.1%) was only slightly higher than in male control subjects (2.2%). Conclusion Depressive and anxious symptoms are common in adolescents and young adults with JIA, especially in females. In the continuous care of these patients, standardised diagnostic tools should be implemented to detect these comorbidities, to optimise therapy and thereby reduce the burden of disease. Further research is needed to identify possible predictors of the development of depression and anxiety in JIA patients in order to pursue preventive approaches. Disclosure of Interests Prasad Oommen: None declared, Jens Klotsche: None declared, Frank Dressler: None declared, Ivan Foeldvari: None declared, Dirk Foell: None declared, Gerd Horneff Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Novartis, Janssen, Chugai, Abbvie, Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Novartis, MSD, Chugai, Roche, Abbvie, Toni Hospach Consultant of: SOBI, Novartis, Tilmann Kallinich: None declared, Jasmin Kuemmerle-Deschner: None declared, Ina Liedmann: None declared, Kirsten Moenkemoeller: None declared, Martina Niewerth: None declared, Caroline Siemer: None declared, Frank Weller-Heinemann: None declared, Daniel Windschall: None declared, Kirsten Minden Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Pfizer, Novartis, Claudia Sengler: None declared